Former middle school teacher, tutor, arrested for child sex exploitation

Wednesday

Feb 27, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 27, 2013 at 4:13 PM

Rebecca Clark

A man employed as a tutor with Cleveland County Schools is on leave after local law enforcement said he was arrested for viewing and distributing Internet child porn.

Michael John Stark was arrested and charged last Thursday following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Stark, 65, of 608 Grace Street in Shelby, faces eight counts of second degree exploitation of a minor and eight counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to arrest warrants.

Donna Carpenter, spokeswoman for Cleveland County Schools, said Stark was first hired by the school system as a Shelby High math teacher from Sept. 1, 2002 to June 1, 2005 when he resigned.

She said there was no disciplinary action taken against him during his employment.

Beginning Aug. 26, 2010, Carpenter said he was approved through the school system's volunteer program to work as a tutor at Crest Middle School and Shelby Middle School on a strictly volunteer, unpaid, basis.

On Oct. 21 of 2011, Stark was hired as tutor at Crest Middle, an hourly employee position, until May 25 of 2012, Carpenter said.

Beginning in January of this year, Stark was once again hired as an hourly tutor at Crest Middle School until the end of the school year in June.

Since Stark was an hourly employee, his leave is not paid, Carpenter said.

During his years of employment with the school system, she said three background checks were completed on Stark.

Carpenter said, according to Crest Middle School's principal, he worked with several students at a time and generally worked in a classroom.

"He did that when he was a volunteer and last year when he was brought in as a paid tutor," she said.

According to public records law, the school system only has to provide an employee's employment history but not any complaints lodged against them.

Shelby Police Lt. Wray Hamrick said the department was asked by the FBI to assist in the case.

"We were assisting them with state charges," Wray previously told The Star. "We were informed by an agent with the FBI that they had been tracking a suspect for quite some time."

Hamrick said the FBI agent provided local police with photos and evidence that led to the state charges.

According to warrants, Stark distributed and received photos of nude children, ages 7 to 13 years old, engaging in sexual activity.